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Muskegon, Mich -– Muskegon’s Pere Marquette Beach will ignite on August 25, 2018, for the 4th Annual Burning Foot Beer Festival. Serving as Michigan’s only barefoot beer festival on the beach, festival goers can enjoy some of the finest craft beer found in the Great Lakes region, revel in local art and food, groove to local and national music acts, and take in the beautiful shoreline of Lake Michigan. Burning Foot will feature 70 breweries this year from Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin.

A stellar lineup of music acts will be gracing the main stage with this year’s headliner to be Eve 6. The last two years, Burning Foot has featured the Sublime tribute band Badfish on the main stage. This year the festival will feature two of Sublime’s contributing members Michael “Miguel” Happoldt and Marshall Goodman “Ras MG” performing with the The Long Beach Dub Allstars. Local bands Mustard Plug and Flexadecibel will be returning to the festival this year, having both previously shared the Burning Foot stage in 2016. A new waterfront stage will be featured at the festival this year, with acoustic performances by Brett Dame and Brother James.

Another new aspect to the festival for 2018 is the approach to its food. In years past, they’ve curated some delicious custom menus, but now they’ll be getting 4 local restaurants involved to take the reigns. The official food vendors will be Hamburger Mikey, Rad Dads’ Taco & Tequila Bar, Bone Ends, and Fatty Lumpkins Sandwich Shack.

Burning Foot Beer Festival loves the community it’s located in, and in addition to working with local restaurants will also be involved with some wonderful non-profit organizations. Coming back again is Habitat for Humanity, who runs our Bike Valet, as well as Noah’s Project who operates the Shoe Check-In. (No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem!) The latest addition, Kid’s Food Basket, will be taking care of the new Pretzel Necklace area of the festival.

The Lakeshore Brewers Guild promotes the local craft beer industry and the lakeshore’s natural beauty. As a supplement to the Michigan Brewers Guild, the Lakeshore Brewers Guild is focused on counties that touch Lake Michigan. States included are Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Throughout these counties, the guild is working with its members to build the “Lakeshore Ale Trail,” a region rich in craft breweries, natural beauty, and the economic benefits that flow from successful locally-owned and oriented businesses. Through these collaborative efforts, the Lakeshore Brewers Guild is becoming a driving force in supporting both its members and local economies.

Organizers of the Lakeshore Brewers Guild know how to throw an epic end of summer bash. They hosted 65 breweries from all around the shores of Lake Michigan, brought in several legendary bands to play live music, set up a couple community bonfires, offered overnight camping on the shore of Lake Michigan, and mixed it all together at Muskegon’s Pere Marquette Beach.

The park’s vast stretch of white sand and fresh water was the ideal location for the appreciative crowd of attendees to savor gathering with friends at this year’s 3rd annual event. Cool breezes off the lake kept everyone smiling on a day of perfect summer sunshine. A friendly reminder printed on the event program says “Be sure to enjoy yourself while you’re here, which shouldn’t be too hard since you’re on one of the most beautiful beaches on Lake Michigan, taking in the sights, and sounds, and friends all around you, cheers!” Beer enthusiasts had a fair share of options from local and regional breweries. Participating guild members are mainly located in counties that border Lake Michigan, with a few inclusions from further inland.

Music filled the air throughout the event, including Melophobix, Southpaw, and Tropidelic‘s synergistic sounds. Festival favorites Badfish returned this year to please the crowd with retro Sublime hits. Headliners Less Than Jake ended the evening with a raucous pit of revelers in front of the stage doing their thing. Guests left the festival grounds with grins on their faces.

“Where else can you go and enjoy beer from over 60 breweries on arguably the most beautiful beach in Michigan? Burning Foot has become one of our most anticipated days of the year—we liken it to Christmas for the beer-lover. It’s worth every penny that we spend to enter. We already have it on the calendar for next summer!” said Amy Silvis, who has attended all 3 years along with her husband Josh. Next year’s festival is slated for Saturday, August 25th. Tickets will go on sale in June.

Bellaire, Mich. – Short’s Brewing Company announces the lineup for their Anni Party 13 Battle of the Bands. Over the course of the next two months, 21 selected bands will battle for a paying gig to perform as the opener at Short’s 13th Anniversary Party on April 29th, 2017.

Selected bands will take the pub stage on seven Sundays this winter and spring, three each evening, to show off their skills. Each band will play three songs (one song must be original) in front of a live audience and Short’s panel of celebrity judges including representatives from the Crosshatch Center for Art and Ecology and Earthwork Music. Bands will be evaluated on their stage presence, “tightness,” original song, and overall party “vibe.” The band(s) with the highest overall scores will move on to the semi-finals. A final battle will be held on Sunday, April 2nd.

About Short’s 13th Anniversary Party
Celebrated each April, Short’s Anniversary Party brings an estimated 3,000 party attendees to downtown Bellaire for Short’s brews, Starcut Ciders, live music, and local food trucks. Headlining acts for #SBCANNIPARTY13 will be announced with ticket sales on Friday, February 17th.

About Short’s Brewing Company

Located in the heart of Downtown Bellaire, MI, Short’s Brewing Co. was established in 2004 by Joe Short. In 2009, Short’s began keg and bottle distribution in Michigan via their Elk Rapids Production Facility. Starcut Ciders is a division of Short’s Brewing Company born out of a desire to celebrate the bounty of Michigan orchards. The brewery is known widely for their flagship and experimental brews including Huma Lupa Licious and Soft Parade. Short’s prides themselves on producing fearlessly creative beers, handmade by people who care in Northern Michigan.

Bellaire, Mich. – Short’s Brewing Company announces the lineup for their Anni Party 13 Battle of the Bands. Over the course of the next two months, 21 selected bands will battle for a paying gig to perform as the opener at Short’s 13th Anniversary Party on April 29th, 2017.

Selected bands will take the pub stage on seven Sundays this winter and spring, three each evening, to show off their skills. Each band will play three songs (one song must be original) in front of a live audience and Short’s panel of celebrity judges including representatives from the Crosshatch Center for Art and Ecology and Earthwork Music. Bands will be evaluated on their stage presence, “tightness,” original song, and overall party “vibe.” The band(s) with the highest overall scores will move on to the semi-finals. A final battle will be held on Sunday, April 2nd.

Celebrated each April, Short’s Anniversary Party brings an estimated 3,000 party attendees to downtown Bellaire for Short’s brews, Starcut Ciders, live music, and local food trucks. Headlining acts for #SBCANNIPARTY13 will be announced with ticket sales on Friday, February 17th.

About Short’s Brewing Company

Located in the heart of Downtown Bellaire, MI, Short’s Brewing Co. was established in 2004 by Joe Short. In 2009, Short’s began keg and bottle distribution in Michigan via their Elk Rapids Production Facility. Starcut Ciders is a division of Short’s Brewing Company born out of a desire to celebrate the bounty of Michigan orchards. The brewery is known widely for their flagship and experimental brews including Huma Lupa Licious and Soft Parade. Short’s prides themselves on producing fearlessly creative beers, handmade by people who care in Northern Michigan.

Everything about ROAK Brewing Company screams rock and roll—from the décor, to the music, to the names of the beer. For an old rock chick like me, this was a sure fire hit mix.

Owner John Leone says that the rock theme was accidental. “We were starting to make up names for beers, and it’s harder than you might think. You think you have the best name, but someone else has done it,” Leone explains. Then he realized that musicians have been drawing influences from music for ages, and so he decided to do the same. In his case, the influences mostly come from the realm of classic rock. “Sometimes I’m inspired by an album cover, sometimes it’s lyrics,” Leone says. “I go to my brewers with my vision, we hammer it out, and find the path to head down” towards great beer.

Leone says that, like classic rock songwriters, there sometimes is “creative tension in the process between (brewers) Brandon (MacClaren) and Adam (Stout). But if we were all happy and agreeing, we wouldn’t get that final end product. Creative tension pushes us, makes the best possible beer, and we are only going to get better.”

While not everyone picks up on the rock theme right away, there have been many compliments on the taproom and its song list. I heard some great rock songs while at ROAK one fine Sunday afternoon. Through the magic of my imagination, I have made them fit nicely with my experience.

Seeing Things (for the First Time)

The first time I heard the Black Crowes, I was a freshman in college and just starting to listen to music that wasn’t what my friends and parents listened to. I knew immediately that I would love that band, and I did. Similarly, the first time I walked into ROAK, I took a gander at the huge chandelier, the dramatic color scheme, and the beer selection and immediately knew I would love the brewpub. And I did!

“Roak” means “smoke” in Dutch, and where there’s smoke there’s fire—or in this case, very excellent atmosphere. The deep reds and blacks put me in the mind of the best rock video—edgy, yet cool. And a great place to enjoy some good beer.

The Weight

In this song, The Band implores us to take a load off—and that’s exactly what we did. My friends and I kicked back and ordered the soft pretzel appetizers and three different personal pizzas. Beer cheese and hot mustard accompanied the pretzel, which was nice and soft on the inside without being soggy or too doughy. All of the pizzas were a hit, too. The ROAK deluxe included pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, and onions, the Carne piled on the meat, and the Arrostito offered a variety of vegetables from Portobello mushrooms to baby squash. The crust was crunchy, the cheese was delicious, and the toppings were all outstanding.

Sometimes brewpubs really strike out on the food, but that was not the case at ROAK. My usual standard is whether I would go there even if they didn’t have beer, and I most definitely would. And if I lived any closer, I would echo this song and definitely put on some weight (see what I did there?).

I’d Like to Change the World

Can beer change the world? Probably. Will it “stop the war”, like Ten Years After commands in this song? Probably not, but at least we can try. And speaking of trying, we tried five beers at ROAK and enjoyed them all.

ROAKa Cadabra – Belgian-style brown ale that was well balanced and had a hint of the apple cider that was added to the ale’s mash. Made with apple cider, the recipe pared down a bit on the spices this year. “We used a different source for the cinnamon sticks,” Leone says. “And that made a huge difference in its profile.”

Also, Leone notes that this title came from Black Sabbath’s Sabbra Cadabra, which he happened to be listening to during the process of creating and naming his beer.

Melonfest – Melon is a difficult flavor to capture in a beer, but the brewers did a fabulous job getting just the right taste in this wheat ale. They dry-hopped it with melon hops, which added a nice zing without being too cloying.

This beer is inspired by the Allman Brothers’ Eat a Peach album. Leone loved the album artwork, recognized that Michigan is known for its melons, and created this beer with his brewers. “They did a great job,” Leone praises. “It’s all pureed melons and cantaloupes, no extract. We wanted a beer that you could drink when it’s a 90 degree day and want to be refreshed.”

Higher Ground Coffee Stout—This Turkish coffee stout hit the spot after the smoother milk stout. Made with coffee roasted in nearby Ferndale, it packed a punch of roasted grains and java.

Misirlou – Despite being absolutely unable to pronounce the name of this beer, I was fortunately able to very much enjoy it. Perfect English summer ale, with bitter hops and nice balance.

Creamsicle – Hopefully, you remember eating these as a kid. This orange vanilla ale balanced the best of those summertime days. Perfect way to end the summer!

Ramble On

Alas, nothing gold can stay and we eventually had to leave this fabulous taproom. Leone tells me that many people have expressed their appreciation of the taproom, saying that it isn’t “typical” of a craft beer taproom. “To that,” he says. “I say that there shouldn’t be anything ‘typical’.”

It includes a mix of caramel, vanilla, pale, and pilsner malts from Pilot Malt House, Motor City Malting, and Empire Malting. The brew’s cascade, centennial, chinook and crystal hops were grown in Empire, Michigan.

“It has lots of late hop additions to contribute to citrusy aromas,” said Bueltmann, New Holland Brewing’s Vice President of Brand and Lifestyle.

The culminating product is a bright, citrus-forward IPA that also bears the name Mashpaddle. It will be served at all participating locations.

A few members of the brew crew also happen to be musicians, so they’ve formed a band called Mashpaddle. The group includes three musicians from New Holland Brewing—Berthel on pedal steel, Jett on vocals, and Bueltmann on bass and sousaphone—as well as Lake Charlevoix’s Engleman on guitar.

“It’s really exciting to kind of combine passions,” Bueltmann said. “I think the idea that a group came together to make a beer and a band is really unique.”

The group will perform Jett’s original pieces along with a few “eclectic covers,” on a tour of participating breweries’ pub locations. They’ll perform between anchor sets with The Strapping Owls, a trio including Bueltmann as well as Larry Beers and Nicholas Barron. Attendees can expect “Americana roots and soul music,” Bueltmann said. In other words, good Fourth of July music.

“There’s a lot of enthusiasm for what we do and where we live,” Bueltmann said. “It’s a very feel-good event.”

See Mashpaddle and try the brew at one of the following dates and locations:

https://mittenbrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/MittenBrewLogo.png00Marie Orttenburgerhttps://mittenbrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/MittenBrewLogo.pngMarie Orttenburger2016-06-22 20:08:292016-06-22 20:13:59Mashpaddle to Celebrate West MI Beer and Music

Thousands spent last Saturday ringing in what’s sure to be a very hot summer at Founders Fest 2016. This year’s celebration of beer and music featured eight musical acts, food and goods from local vendors, and carnival-esque sideshows by Super Happy Funtime Entertainment.

In the stifling heat, imbibers promised to hydrate with a water for every beer and enjoyed rare favorites like CBS and Lizard of Koz as well as staples like Red’s Rye, All Day IPA, and Rubeaus. People refreshed themselves at water refill stations, which featured misters spraying cool water.

The block party went well into the night, ending at 11 p.m. Attendees ate, drank, danced, and sweltered. It’s likely that many spent Sunday nursing a sunburn and a hangover.

A long overdue festival for Odd Side Ales finally popped its cherry on Saturday. OSA has been exploring the idea of a festival for quite a while now. They always liked the idea of having an outdoor anniversary festival, but since their anniversary falls on St. Patrick’s Day, the weather never seemed like something they would have on their side.

“So why not do it in the summer time, on the water, at a time when nothing else historically is going on downtown, while benefiting the city. We want to celebrate our success and thank our customers by throwing them a gigantic party,” said Reid Warber, OSA Tap Room Manager.

It took a bit of convincing when it came to pitching the festival to the City of Grand Haven. Warber had to firmly express that this isn’t just an ordinary beer tent—it isn’t Anheuser Busch with tall boys. OSA wanted to showcase local beer and local food. After three city council meetings, a few additional meetings with the city, a long check list and a lot of beer, they finally got the city’s blessing.

“I love watching Odd Side get better and better every year. I am excited for their first festival,” stated Brent Newville, OSA mug club member.

OSA Funk Fest was a day spent showcasing funky music—Chris Wiser-The human jukebox, Plain Jane Glory, Starmen, and Mainstays—their beer, local food and a silent disco. Silent Disco? Yeah, I had no idea either. A 60’ x 40’ tent lined one corner of the festival, where you could only hear the DJs via headsets. Throughout the later part of the day SoundIsRed, DJ JSUPP, Clark After Dark played separate sets, then at the very end, they all played together. You could tune the headset into three different stations to pick who you wanted. From an outside perspective you could not hear any music, but could see a lot of people dancing their butts off. Someone who loves people watching, which I admit is me, could try and figure out which people were listening to the same stations by their dance moves.

Saturday was the day to just get Funky—plain and simple. Festival goers were also seen playing corn hole, conquering giant jenga, hanging with friends, meeting new friends, and checking out the Better Drinking Culture booth. Better Drinking Culture is a grassroots movement with efforts to shift our culture’s relationship with alcohol to a healthier and more positive direction. If you scored a 100% on their quiz you received a free t-shirt.

“This festival has good vibes and a friendly crowd,” stated Shane Timmins, local resident.

The festival itself was ran by volunteers with a love for OSA.

“They are my favorite brewery. We first poured for them awhile back at the Microbrew and Music Festival in Traverse City and now follow them wherever we go,” stated Amanda and Heather Reno, Funk Fest volunteers/ ‘groupies’.

Some people who joined in on the fun were people just walking by, curious as to what was going on.

“This is just the beginning to what I have up my sleeve for the future,” stated Reid Warber, OSA Tap Room Manager.